M.I.A – Bad Girls

M.I.A has premiered today the video for her new single, Bad Girls, available on iTunes worldwide. The song left me cold at first listen, it’s quite monotone, less rich in sound that earlier M.I.A records, but it’s definitely a grower. Within a couple more listens, it is inevitable to start humming the chorus live fast/die young/bad girls/do it well, and once you hum it once, it doesn’t leave your mind.

Now the video, directed by Romain Gavras, is a visual masterpiece. The photography is flawless, brightening up the colorful costumes that all the extras wear yet giving the video a dull grey that fits with location. The sequences with the stunt cars are really effective, so is the use of the slow motion. I love this shot: